Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and medically discharged.

Hugh O'Brian, US Marines.

Robert Ryan, US Marines.

Eddie Albert , US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat V for saving several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.

Cark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.

Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in action.

Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.

Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.

Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.

Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber.

Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer

Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier.

Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.

Jason Robards, US Navy. was aboard heavy cruiser USS Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal . Also served on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines , surviving a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.

Steve Reeves, US Army , Philippines.

Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot.

Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot.

Randolph Scott. Tried to enlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War 1.

Ronald Reagan. US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent overseas with his unit when war came so he transferred to the Army Air Corps Public Relations Unit where he served for the duration.

John Wayne. Declared "4F medically unfit" due to pre-existing injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times (Army, Navy and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.

And of course we haveAudie Murphy, America 's most-decorated soldier, who became a Hollywood star as a result of his US Army service that included his being awarded the Medal of Honor.

Can someone tell how many of today's Hollywood elite, sports celebs and politicians put their careers on hold to enlist for service in Iraq or Afghanistan ?

The only one who even comes close wasPat Tillman, who turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the US Army after September, 11, 2001 and serve as a Ranger in Afghanistan , where he died in 2004.

But rather than being lauded for his choice and his decision to put his country before his career, he was mocked and derided by many of his peers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you that America today is not the country it was seventy years ago. And I, for one, am saddened.

My generation grew up watching, being entertained by and laughing with so many of these fine people, never really knowing what they contributed to the war effort. Like millions of Americans during WWII, there was a job that needed doing, they didn't question, they went and did it; those that came home returned to their now new normal life and carried on, very few ever saying what they did or saw.

They took it as their "responsibility," their "duty" to Country, to protect and preserve our freedoms and way of life, not just for themselves but for all future generations to come.

As a member of that "First" generation, I'm forever humbly in their debt.

Don't forget that even Queen Elizabeth of England, I believe she was princess at the time, volunteered during WWII.

16
comments:

Anonymous
said...

Wow, so you're telling me that during the biggest war in the history of the planet, when the draft was in full effect, a large number of young men ended up serving in uniform, and then later some of those young men turned out to have careers in show business?

And in a different era, with no draft and a much smaller, highly professional armed forces, that current entertainers wouldn't drop everything to go fight in two smaller wars?

Amazing. I'm sure that really says... something.

And that John Wayne "honorable mention" is BULLSHIT. John Wayne was a fucking draft dodger. He wasn't 4-F. He was 1-A. Fit for duty. And he kept putting off enlisting because his career was finally taking off and he didn't want to risk losing his place in Hollywood or the money that he was finally making as a star.

So there's your "good old days". America's biggest, baddest hero was actually the one who refused to answer the bell in time of war, because he was more worried about his career than his country.

Can someone tell how many of today's Hollywood elite, sports celebs and politicians put their careers on hold to enlist for service in Iraq or Afghanistan ?

Why should they? The government says, "We're gonna start a war, with some country that hasn't done us harm, for no apparent reason. Wanna come?" and you're wondering why actors and celebrities won't sign up?

I'm wondering why ANYONE would sign up, and I'm not that impressed by anyone who does.

If we returned to the draft, wars such as these would stop in a hurry.

My rightwing dad died last year at age 95. He was a WWII Vet. I point out his age bc most of the WWII generation is either gone or soon will be. May they all RIP.

So this is really reeaaccching to prove some kind of stupid point about citizens choosing not to serve in the military. Current RWDs are probably of the Korean War and Viet Nam War era. How many RWDs actually served? And more to the point, how many of their kids and grandkids and great grandkids serve(d)?

This is such sentimental claptrap, and really has nothing to do with anything. However, I do agree with this statement:

...I submit to you that America today is not the country it was seventy years ago. And I, for one, am saddened.

No shit, RWD. The USA is NOT what it used to be, is it? And that's due, in no small measure, to your unceasing and fervent willingness to be a pawn and a dupe to the mega-wealthy... and by rolling around in your ersatz victimhood over fables like this one. Grow a pair, RWD. My dad volunteered to serve in WWII. He had a pair. You don't.

I will also point out that the ranks our all-volunteer military - along with volunteer mercenaries - are usually filled by dreaded, horrid, terrible minorities... often those from poverty-stricken families, who have few choices in life. So they serve, and serve with honor, in our military, putting their lives on the line (usually in stupid conflicts in order to enrich the already wealthy, but I digress). Only to come back to the USA and be spit on by white supremacist RWD, who doesn't want to pay one thin dime in taxes and doesn't give a crap if the VA is properly funded.

I could go on, but that's the overview of who serves in today's military. I guess that's why RWD is whining this time - not enough white sports heros and white actors to satisfy his white supremacist @ss.

Let us not forget that Ammon Bundy and his gang of freeloading lazy yay-hoos are mostly not ex-military, although most say they are Vets. The few that are actual Vets were dishonorably discharged for being too stupid to serve (or something).

This has already been thrashed enough. My first thought was "there was a fucking DRAFT in those days numbnuts" but that has been addressed. And the fact some on that list were Liberals but not surprising given the level of cognitive dissonance of RWD. With that said bless those that served.

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